The use of structured teaching strategies to support students on the autism spectrum to stay on-task in mainstream classrooms
Students on the autism spectrum who attend mainstream schools may find aspects of independent learning challenging. In particular, these students may have difficulty staying on task and transitioning between tasks. There is a need for teachers to provide effective strategies as part of their everyday practice to assist students on the spectrum within mainstream classroom settings.
This project aimed to design and evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention involving two strategies of structured teaching: visual schedules and work systems.
Research to date has largely focused on evaluating these strategies within special education or autism-specific contexts. The current project evaluated the use of visual schedules and work systems when implemented as inclusive, whole-class practices, to support students on the spectrum in their mainstream classroom environments.